Electrical connector



p 1947. HARRISON ETAL 2,428,022

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed June 25, 1945 3mm EDGAR HARRISON ALB ERI P. M0 GABE Patented Sept. 30, 1947 OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Edgar Harrison, Miami, Fla., and Albert P. McCabe, Washington, D. 0.

Application June 23, 1945, Serial No. 601,279

3 Claims.

(01. ma -s24) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883,'as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) This invention relates to connectors and more particularly to clip connectors adapted to be attached to electrical devices, such as electron discharge tubes, whereby they may be easily applied to pin terminals on said'tubes to establish electrical connections with external circuits and which will resist accidental removal by integrally formed locking means.

Present day electronic equipments use electron discharge tubes of very high power which evolve considerable heat at their terminals, oftentimes welding them to their circuit connectors. In the removal and replacement of these tubes torsional strains applied to theirslender terminals have resulted in a large number of breakages of these terminals at their glass seals.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a pin clip for an electron discharge tube which is placed on the tube-s terminal pin by an axial movement thereof and is locked thereon by pressure on spaced points of the terminal.

It is another object of the invention to provide a self-locking terminal clip for electrical devices whereby electrical connection is established along the greater portion of the terminal and which also provides a mechanical construction such as to avoid undue strain on the terminal.

A further object of this invention is to provide a terminal clip for an electron discharge tube which makes an electrical contact over a major portion of the clip and positively locks the clip to the termina1 on both sides of its intermediate contact portion.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a terminal clip of spring material which may be easily and inexpensively constructed by punching and folding operations whereby contact and locking features are obtained in a single unitary device.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the clip is formed by subsequent folding operations.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the completely formed clip. V

Figure 3 illustrates a side view of the clip partially in section wherein the terminal locking features are shown, and

Figure 4 is a'sectional view of the clip taken along line 4- 4 of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1 in detail, theconnector is formed from a cross-shaped blank II] which is punched from a. sheet of spring metal of high- 2 electrical conductivity, such as beryllium copper. The blank I ll comprises the rectangular elongated strip II having an intermediate portion I2 thereof with an integrally formed cross-arm I3 extending therefrom at right angles to the direction of the strip. Terminal engaging apertures I4 and I5 are formed centrally of the longitudinal axis of the strip II and are spaced an equal distance from its intermediate portion I2. Another aperture I6 is formed in the end of the strip farthest from the intermediate portion I2 and provides a means for securing the clip to a terminal of another electrical device, for instance, such as a socket, transformer, mechanical support or to a wire. Arcuate grooves I1 and I8 are formed transversely of the crossarm near its ends and are of a width less than the terminal they engage when completely formed. This crossarm is further deformed to provide a pair of leaves at right angles to the remainder of the blank along the dotted lines I9 and 20 whereupon a folding operation along the lines 2| and 22 permits the ends of the crossarm to lie in spaced relation substantially parallel with the unfolded portions of the blank. A further bending of the crossarm now occurs along dotted lines 23 and 24 at right angles to the intermediate portion I2 of the blank to form two spring biased contact leaves for engaging the sides of a terminal. A final, substantially right angled, bending operation along lines 25 and 26 forms the completed clip whereby the apertures I4 and I5 in. the strip II are substantially aligned with each other.

Figure 2 shows the completed clip in perspective wherein its top and bottom extensions, 2

formed from strip I I, are shown in their normal positions as being inclined at a slight angle away from the edges of the crossarm terminalcontact portion I3. The contact parts of the crossarm, shown by dotted lines in the drawing, are spring biased toward each other to present a reduced passage therebetween which is axially aligned with the apertures I4 and I5 of the strip II.

Figure 3 exemplifies the operation of the clip I when it is urged onto a terminal. The hatched lines of the drawing indicates the strip II having its two end portions extended at substantially right angles from the intermediate and crossarm the normal locking position of the extended legs 01' the clip around the terminal.

Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the clip taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2, wherein the terminal 2! of an electrical device has been urged between the arcuately grooved side portions I! and I8 of the clip which are normally spring biased toward each other as shown by the dotted lines.

In operation the clip is adapted to be freely applied to a terminal of an electrical device or discharge tube, reference is made to Figure 3. This is done by forcing the terminal 21 through aperture M in the strip l l whereupon it is guided to the opposite aperture l5 of the strip. During this progressive movement, the tapered point of the terminal enters between the adjacently positioned contact portions l1 and I8 of the clip to force them apart a distance sufiicient to accommodate the terminals diameter. Further movement of the terminal through the clip towards the aperture l5 of the strip necessitates the size of the terminal and the resulting misalignment of the bores of apertures l4 and 15. This movement of the spring biased extensions forces the forward and rear edges of the metal surrounding the apertures to bite into the terminal which-rigidly holds the same and prevents its accidental removal while further enhancing the clips electrical connection with theterminal.

To release the clip from a terminal it is only necessary to move the extended ends toward each other whereupon the bores of apertures l4 and 15 are more nearly aligned and the bite of the metal surrounding the apertures is released permitting its ready removal from the terminal.

A clip of this nature, being of light weight and formed from a single stamping having positive contact portions and easily manipulated locking features may be used in many places in the electrical industry. However a suggested field for its use exists in electrically operated airplane equipment where vibrations and sudden jolts of great amplitudes often prove detrimental to other terms of clips or connections.

It will be understood that other changes and modifications involving the principles of this invention may be made in the construction of clips without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

,The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without payment of any royalty thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A connector comprising a first pair of spring leaves biased from parallel position, an aperture in each leaf adapted to receive an electrical connector, said apertures having bores that are aligned when said leaves are deflected toward parallel position, whereby an electrical connector may be inserted through said bores, and engaged thereby through movement of said leaves toward their biased position, and a second pair of spring leaves interposed betweenthe first pair and perpendicularly positioned with relation theretmsaid second pair of spring leaves being biased toward the axis defined by the apertures in the first pair of leaves to engage fiatwise against an electrical connection received in said bores.

2. A connector comprising a pair of spring leaves biased from arallel position, an aperture in each leaf adapted to receive an electrical connector, said apertures having bores that are aligned when said leaves are deflected toward parallel position, whereby an electrical connector may be inserted through said bores, and engaged thereby through movement of said leaves toward, their biased position, and a spring leaf interposed between the pair of leaves and perpendicularly positioned with relation thereto, said leaf being biased toward the axis defined by the apertures in said pair of leaves to engage flatwise against an electrical connection received in said bores.

3. A connector comprising a body. member having extensions forming first and second pairs of spring leaves, said first air of leaves being spaced from one another and biased from parallel position, said second pair of leaves being re-entrantly folded upon themselves and interposed between said first pair of leaves and perpendicularly positioned with relation thereto, an aperture in each leaf of said first pair adapted to receive an electrical connector, said apertures having bores that are aligned when said leaves are deflected toward parallel position, whereby an electrical connector may be inserted through said bores, and engaged thereby through movement of said leaves toward their biased position, one of said first pair of leaves having an extended portion, an aperture in said extended portion adapted to receive an electrical connection, said second pair of spring leaves having their reentrantly folded portions" biased toward the axis defined by the apertures in the first pair of leaves to engage fiatwise against an electrical connection received in said bores.

EDGAR HARRISON. ALBERT P. MoCABE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,724,729 Ruttenberg Aug. 13, 1929 1,676,967 ISimon July 10, 1928 985,821 Manson Mar. 7, 1911 2,235,780 Wagstafi .Mar. 18, 1941 

